Johann Gottlieb Graun:Quartet in D for two violins, viola da gamba, and basso continuo (GWV A:XIV:1)

The violinist Johann Gottlieb Graun spent most of his life as Concertmeister or orchestra directorfor King Frederick II “the Great” of Prussia. Recognized in the early twentieth century chiefly for his supposed signficance in the early history of the symphony, more recently he has been noted for his inventive solo, trio, and quartet sonatas, which include some of the latest virtuoso parts for viola da gamba as well as some of the earliest soloistic writing for viola. Many works, including this one, are preserved in sources which suggest that the viola replaced the gamba on the chief or solo part in the composition during the composer’s lifetime. Indeed, the one manuscript score preserving the present work contains later entries in red ink signifying the replacement of gamba by viola. But even the original readings of this source (which are largely concordant with those in most other sources) appear to be adapted, to some degree, for viola, at least by comparison with the part copied by the gamba virtuoso L. C. Hesse. It is possible, therefore, that Graun, a violinist, intended the part from the start to be playable on both instruments, allowing Hesse to make his own slightly modified version for gamba (see below). Either Graun or, more likely, one or more other musicians eliminated remaining gamba elements from the part in later copies.

Graun’s quartet sonatas belong to a genre entirely distinct from the Classical string quartet, despite the superficial similarity in scoring. Quantz, who composed similar pieces, described quartet sonatas as relatively sophisticated by comparison with the more common trio sonata, exceeding the latter in contrapuntal complexity. The present work stands out among Graun’s many quartets not only for the soloistic treatment of the part for gamba or viola but also for the presence of a fugue as its second movement.

Christoph Henzel, in his thematic catalog of the complete works of Graun and his younger brother (Verzeichnis der Werke der Brüder Johann Gottlieb und Carl Heinrich Graun, 2 vols., Beeskow: Ortus Musikverlag, 2006), designates the present composition as item A:XIV:1, where the prefix A signifies that Gottlieb, not his brother, is certainly the composer. The roman numeralXIV indicates that the work is a quartet, that is, one comprising four obbligato parts.

Henzel lists nine manuscript sources for this quartet, with instrumentation of the third part as follows (names in parentheses are those of copyists):

viola da gambaD B, Archiv der Sing-Akademie zu Berlin [SA], ms. 3386 (score and parts)DS, Mus. ms. 1238 (L. C. Hesse, gamba part only)

viola or viola da gambaD B, SA, ms. 3378D B, SA, ms. 3387 (August Kohne, ca. 1755–ca. 1766D B, Mus. ms. 3295/54 (F. Baumann + 1 unidentified)

violaD B, Königliche Hausmusik [KHM], mss. 1900 (Schober) and 1902DB, SA, ms. 3388 (Johann Leonhard Hesse)

The two KHM copies as well as SA 3378 and SA 3387 permit a further scoring option, allowing the substitution of flute for the first violin part. In addition, sharing the shelf mark of the manuscript score SA 3386 is a second, unrelated manuscript copy that comprises a set of parts; included with these is an alternative part for “Cembalo ovvero Viola da gamba” that raises the additional possibility of playing the gamba part on keyboard, turning the work into an obbligato keyboard quartet. Indeed, the wrapper containing SA 3386 refers to the work as “Quatuor per il Cembalo” with strings, but this cannot have been Graun’s original conception of the work.

With the exception of the score component of SA 3386, the sources consist of four separate parts.None is autograph, although five copyists have been identified, including the prolific court scribeSchober. The gamba virtuoso Ludwig Christian Hesse made one copy, now in Darmstadt (where he ended his career), and at least two copies, ms 8295/54 and SA 3378, belonged to members of the Itzig family, one of whom, Sara Itzig (later Levy) was a pupil of W. F. Bach and became a famous collector, pianist, and musical patron living long into the nineteenth century.

Evidently this was among the most highly regarded of Graun’s quartets, probably due to the presence of a fugue as its second movement. That later players of Graun’s music prized his fugues is evident from the fact that the KHM copies substitute a different fugue in the same key (D major) at this point in the piece, including the original fugue as a fourth movement. The substitute fugue is otherwise known as the second movement of the quartet GWV Av:XIV:7, which is preserved complete in just two copies (both shelved under SA 3379) with slightly different instrumentation, one as a flute quartet (flute, violin, viola, and continuo), the other allowing the substitution of another violin for flute and cello for the viola. The absence of a gamba part for GWV Av:XIV:7 suggests that it may be a later work than the present one. The fugue from GWV Av:XIV:7 follows this commentary as an appendix. In this fugue, the notation of the third part in a combination of treble and bass clefs (with at least one error involving a missing clef) suggests that the instrumentation of this part remained unresolved or optional.

The two sources of the present work that assign the third part unequivocally to gamba give what appears to be the earliest extant version of this work. For this reason the edition is based primarily on the score of SA 3386. The parts in SA 3378 clearly are closely related, but both sources show small errors and internal inconsistencies, especially in the placement of slurs, dynamics, and articulation markings, and the edition takes readings for these signs from both sources. Both sources also show signs of editing by a later or younger musician than Graun. In SA 3386, the gamba part has shows later markings intended to adapt it for the viola, with some notes from multiple stops shifted to the second violin. Fortunately the original readings remain clearly legible in all such instances. In addition, the parts in SA 3378 often substitute explicit ornament signs (especially the trill sign) for the “tr” which is the sole ornament indication in the score of SA 3386 (as in most other sources for Berlin ensemble music). In addition, SA 3378 gives continuo figures, which are lacking in the score of SA 3386, but they are extremely faulty and cannot stem from the composer.

According to Henzel, the score in SA 3386 belonged to Rellstab, a Berlin composer and publisher who studied with Agricola. Agricola, who Graun’s brother Carl Heinrich as principal composer for the royal opera, was also an important copyist as well a pupil of both Quantz and J.S. Bach. It is possible, therefore, that the copyist of the SA 3386 score had access to a relatively good text, but this copy is clearly of late-eighteenth-century date, and it contains subsequent entries indicating that it was used to plan for the replacement of the viola for gamba by a viola, with further alterations (notably the elimination of passages in parallel thirds by moving the lower voice to the second violin part).

The readings of the score copy in SA 3386 have been compared with those of SA 3378 and of thegamba part copied by Hesse (cited below as “DS”). As with other compositions preserved in copies by Hesse, the latter is likely to have been one of the work’s first players, if not its dedicatee. His handwriting is extremely clear and precise, and although Hesse might have made alterations to a part for his own instrument, the presence of chords that are not strongly idiomaticfor gamba in other sources suggests that the latter cannot be assumed to preserve the original version. A few passages in Hesse’s copy contain additional lower and inner voices not present in the other sources, but it does not depart substantially from latter (as, e.g., in the presence of alternate passagework or inserted passages). Surely it gives readings that would be preferred by avirtuoso player on the instrument for which the part presumably was first intended. For this reason the edition generally follows DS for readings of the gamba part where it diverges from theothers. The parts in KHM 1900, SA 3386, and SA 3387 have also been examined, but because these are late and in some cases evidently arrangements, their readings are not listed comprehensively below.

Additions to SA 3386 in a foreign hand include the adaptations mentioned above for a setting with viola in place of gamba; these include transfer of the lower part (in passages in double stops) to the second violin. Other sources, such as SA 3378, also show signs of editing in the presence of additional slurs and of more explicit ornament signs than the “tr” that was probably the sole original marking of this type. Although variants involving slurs in general are not listed below, the presence of these more explicit ornament signs in SA 3378 is noted.

The present edition comprises separate scores for (1) the version for viola da gamba, based on the score in SA 3386, with readings occasionally adopted from DS for the latter part; and (2) the viola version, based primarily on the alterations given in the score of SA 3386. Parts (including arealized keyboard part) are provided for the viola version.

Readings

“SA 3386” here and below refers to the score, not the parts, kept under this shelf mark. This source lacks original figures; the edition takes them from SA 3378 (many errors have been silently corrected).

Dotted slurs and parenthesized “tr” are from DS.

measure part reading

mvt. 1

SA 3386: no original indications of instrumentation; added at top: “V. I / V. II / Viola / et / Cembalo”; added at beginning of third staff in the same hand: “Violetta overo Gamba”

1-2, 24-26, 34-35 g DS: doubles bs

4 g SA 3386: a (lower voice) and 2d tr absent, added from SA 3378; lower voice from beat 2 through beat 1 of m. 5 added in foreign hand to v2 (similarly in mm. 7–8)

5 g SA 3378: prallender Doppelschlag in place of tr

8 v2 “f” here (present as a dynamic in SA 3378) present in SA 3386 possibly only to clarify ambiguously written pitch

9–10, 10–11 v2 ties from SA 3378

9 g DS: on beat 2 lower voice has (8th) only (beneath second bʹ)

SA3386, 3378: lower voice on beat 2 has f#ʹ-f#ʹ-f#ʹ (16ths),double-stop on beat 3 is a third higher; edition follows DS

10–11 v1, bs dyns. from SA 3378

12–13 bs dots and slurs after the first beat are from SA 3378

12 v1 second slur from SA 3378

14 v1 first two slurs from SA 3378v2 SA 3368: two two-note slurs on beat 3; reading is from SA

3378

15–16 v1, va dyns. from SA 3378

15 v2 dyns. from SA 3378 (but “f” is present in m. 16); natural onf’ (also in SA 3378) changed to sharp in later hand in SA 386 (clearly the correct reading)

g natural from DS (also as later addition in SA 3386)

16 g e and b on beat 2 only in DS (g# and b smaller)

bs natural present only as later addition in SA 3386

17 v1 SA 3378: last note eʹʹ not f#ʹʹ

20 bs last note corrected in foreign hand from e (latter reading also in SA 3378, but clearly erroneous)

21-24 g lower voice only in DS (apart from b in m. 24, where DS gives it in smaller size)

22 g first slur from SA 3378 and DS; 2d slur not in DS

24 v2 half rest followed by quarter rest and three 8ths; 2d rest changed to 8th rest (edition follows SA 3378)

g DS: one slur over all of beat 2

26 v2 last two slurs from SA 3378

27 g last two slurs from SA 3378bs slurs apparently on notes 6-8 and 9-11; edition follows SA

3378

28 g last slur not in DS

30 g in DS only: ties and strokes; on beat 2, first eʹ and a#; on beat 3, f# and 32ds a#-c#ʹ-b-a# (SA 3386 has only 8th a#); on beat 4, b/dʹ (8th)

31 v2 dyn. from SA 3378bs first slur from SA 3378

32 g DS: no dots

33 vn slurs over 32ds only; edition follows SA 3378v2, g dyn. from SA 3378

34 vn slurs, dots, and tr on beat 2 from SA 3378g slur from SA 3378

35 v2 dots from SA 3378

36 v1 dʹʹ not c#ʹʹ (beat 2); edition follows SA 3378

38 g lower voices only in DS

39-40 dyns. from DS and SA 3378, but those in vn and bs shifted

to correspond in placement with mm. 15-16 (SA 3386 has only “p” in va and bs on beat 3 of m. 39, and “f” in v2 and g on note 1 of m. 40 and on note 2 of bs)

40 vn slurs on beat 4 from SA 3378g in chord on beat 2, the lower 3 notes in DS only; on beat 4,

SA 3386 has two slurs (on notes 1-3 and 4-5)

41 v1 tr on last note from SA 3378v2 SA 3378, beat 3: c#ʹ (quarter), preceded by app. dʹ (8th)v2, g 1st tr from SA 3378 and DSg DS: doubles last 2 notes of bs (f# is 8th)

mvt. 2

5, 10 v2 tr from SA 3378

9-10 g DS: no strokes

11 g slur from DS and SA 3378; DS: small “tr” on note 1

15 g SA 3378, 3386: sharp on first a, subsequently erased in SA 3386; DS: no app. (c#ʹ), instead “tr” on note 1 (b)

21 v2 SA 3386: tr on note 4 not 3; SA 3378: no tr

24 v2 slur over beat 3 replaced by tr (no tr or slur in SA 3378)g tr from SA 3378

27 v2 slur from SA 3378

32 g SA 3386: slur from c#ʹ to dʹ (m. 33), but stroke under a; SA 3378: slur from c#ʹ to eʹ

34 g SA 3378, 3386: sharp on note 2 (a), erased in SA 3386

35 v2 SA 3386: slur to bʹ (8th), but cf. mm. 37, 40

36 g lower voice from DS

44 v1 SA 3378, 3386: sharp on note 1 (dʹʹ), erased in SA 3386

46 g A and a in DS only

53 v2 slur over beat 1 replaced by tr

56, 59 g downward stems only in DS

63 g first “tr” only in DS

64 g “tr” from DS

67 g DS: 2d note f#ʹ not dʹ

71 g DS: 2d note eʹ not c#ʹ

74 g SA 3386: no f#; edition follows SA 3378

80 g DS: no strokes (this measure only)

83 g strokes from DS

85 g DS: no strokes

87 g DS: no dʹ (lower voice)

87-88 v2 “p” after last note in m. 87, then “poco f” on beat 3 of m. 88 and tr on note 1; edition follows SA 3378 but substitutes tr for trill sign on note 2

89, 90 v2 tr from SA 3378; SA 3386: “f” on beat 3 of m. 89 (edition follows SA 3378)

99 g DS: last note A/a, not g

100 g DS: doubles bass

mvt. 3

1-16 g DS: doubles bs

9 v1 SA 3386: slur apparently on 1-2 only, but cf. m. 17 (edition follows SA 3378)

17-20 g SA 3386, 3378: octave higher (through first note of m. 20)

20 g fingering in DS only

21 g DS: no “tr”

24-32, 44-48 g SA 3386, 3378: octave higher

24 g SA 3386, 3378: eʹ (lower voice, downbeat) as dotted 8th;

on 2d beat, g#ʹ is dotted 8th and bʹ-c#ʹʹ are 32ds in lower voice (edition follows DS)

25-26, 33, 37-38 g lower voice in DS only

36 g DS: “8va” added beneath first note

37 g SA 3386: “tr” on last note

49 v2 SA 3378: 8th-app.54-58 g SA 3386, 3378: octave higher (through first note of m. 58)

58 g SA 3386: dots on last three notes (beneath slur)

59 g SA 3386, 3378: dʹ

61 g SA 3386, 3378: aʹ

64-68 v2, g doubling by v2 of lower voice in g, as well as crossing out of the latter, appears to be an original entry in SA 3386, but see below on dyns.

64 v2 SA 3378: “pp” not “p”; this reflects the doubling of the lower part in g and is subsequently cancelled by “f” in SA 3386, despite the presence of “p” in v1 at that point (m. 68)

g SA 3386, 3378: eʹ (lower voice) as 8th beneath gʹ

67 v2 first slur from SA 3378

68 g SA 3386, 3378: first eʹ in upper voice (g# is quarter)

69-73 g SA 3386, 3378: octave higher (through first note of m. 73)

73 vn “f” from SA 3378 (SA 3386 has “f” in v2 only, in m. 72)

73-74 g SA 3386: lower voice dʹ (8th) [sic], d#ʹ (quarter) beneath f#ʹ (8th), f#ʹ(quarter)

76 g SA 3886: possibly “p,” with a 2d “p” added later to produce“pp” (= SA 3378)

78, 81 bs dyns. from SA 3378 (and as later addition in SA 3386)

84, 87 g SA 3386: note 1 preceded by b (16th-app.)

85, 87 g DS: no dyns.

87-90 g SA 3386, SA 3378: octave higher (from last note of m. 87)

89 g SA 3386, SA 3378: “tr” on last note

92, 93 g SA 3386, SA 3378: no “tr,” instead each dotted 8th is preceded by a 16th-app. one step higher

95 g fingering from DS; SA 3386, SA 3378: lower voice in second chord c#ʹ not f#ʹ

100-103 g SA 3386, SA 3378: octave higher

112 g DS: 2 (?) (fingering?) above 8th rest

113-14 g lower voice in DS only

115 g DS: no stroke

123 v2 SA 3386: second slur on all four notes; edition follows SA 3378

126-28 vn slurs and articulation as shown, in both SA 3386 and SA 3378

130 g DS: stroke (?) over first note; short vertical dash between beats 1 and 2

129 g fingering added in DS

137-45, 146-58, 166-78 g SA 3386, SA 3378: octave higher, except for note 2 in m. 137 and note 1 in m. 146 (see reading below)

144-45 g SA 3386, SA 3378: all slurred, except for first note of m. 144 (with stroke in SA 3386)

146 g SA 3386, SA 3378: downbeat, a not AA; notes 2-3 slurred, dots over notes 4-7

146, 148, 150, 152 g SA 3386, SA 3378: no stroke on downbeat

149, 151, 153 g SA 3378: notated as half-note chords (same pitches)

152-56 g fingering from DS

156 g SA 3386: stroke on downbeat, slur on notes 2-4, dots over notes 5-8

158, 168 g SA 3386, SA 3378: note 1 preceded by app. e (8th)

162 v1 “f” from SA 3378

166 v1 SA 3378: dotted 16th-32d in place of 16th-16th

176 g SA 3386: “mp”

185 v2 slur from SA 3378bs SA 3386: 2d note a not g; edition follows SA 3378

187 v2 SA 3386: slur on first two notes only; edition follows SA 3378

188-90 g strokes in DS only

196 g SA 3386, SA 3378: “tr”

199 g fingering from DS, where 4 has been changed to 2 (or vice versa?)

200-201 g lower voice in DS only

204-10 g SA 3386, SA 3378: octave higher, from note 2 of m. 204 through note 1 of m. 210

204 g SA 3386, SA 3378: note 3 f# not g (octave higher)

205 g DS: no slurs and only the first stroke

206 g SA 3386: slur over notes 2-4 (but no stroke on note 1); edition follows SA 3378

207, 209 g DS: no slurs or strokes

209 g fingering from DS

211- g lower voice(s) from DS

212 g SA 3386, SA 3378: a (16th), no f#

213, 215 g DS: lowest note on downbeat possibly a later addition

216, 218 g DS: last note a not c#ʹ

221, 222 g, bs dyns. only in DS and bs of SA 3378

227 SA 3386: “f” here, not in m. 228, but only in v2 (other partslack dyns.); cf. m. 73

228 g “f” from DS

231, 233 g, bs dyns. only in SA 3378, which has “p” in m. 233 (but cf. m. 78)

232, 234 g DS: no strokes

235 g “f” from DS

236 bs “f” from SA 3378

237 g SA 3386, SA 3378: 8th-app.; fingering from DS

237, 240 g SA 3386, SA 3378: lower voice in last chord c#ʹ not eʹ

238 g SA 3386, SA 3378: lower voice 8th followed by 8th rest; inDS orig. a, crossed out and replaced by dʹ. Slur from DS, SA 3378

239, 242 g SA 3386, SA 3378: dotted 16th, 32d (in place of 16th-16th)in m. 239, both times preceded by 16th-app. eʹ, no “tr.” Slur in m. 239 from DS, SA 3378

240 v2 slur from SA 3378 (and only over the two 16ths)

241 v1 SA 3378: dotted 16th-32d for 16th-16thg DS: lower voice (dʹ) as dotted 8th

244-45 g DS: doubles bs.